


Great Power, Greater Responsibility

by Starjargon



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: (NOT by any main characters), Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Alternate Universe- Mashup of Historical and Futuristic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Corporal Punishment, Dehumanization, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Objectification, Panic Attacks, Parent Death, Parent-Child Relationship, Peter Parker Has Nightmares, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Slave, Peter Parker wears the weight of the world, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slave Trade, Tony Needs to Fix Things, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Various Villains changed the World Until it was both advanced and regressed, Worldbuilding, artwork included
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 14,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24793657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starjargon/pseuds/Starjargon
Summary: King Anthony Stark isn’t a proponent of the debt-slave laws, but he’s not exactly opposed either. However, when he acquires a boy who needs his protection, he suddenly finds a reason to take a stand. And for the first time in his life, to care about someone else.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark (background), Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 52
Kudos: 183
Collections: Irondad Big Bang 2020





	1. The Great Treaty

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep in mind this story, though not meant to involve any RL politics, does revolve around a debt-bondage system (which is quite often how various historical slave systems began and modern ones continue: including child brides, child soldiers, and unpaid immigrant labour).  
> Be aware that many characters are complicit and/or advocates of the system as a way of life by this point in their world, including protagonists, however incorrect they may be. Also, for the sake of this story, the entire system and the politics surrounding it have been oversimplified.  
> Content note: Though there are a couple of passing references to pleasure slaves, there is never anything sexual in nature involved with any slave mentioned in this story. Children are also used as slaves, and there is no greater condemnation for owning a child than an adult. Physical punishment of people is mentioned "offscreen."
> 
> This is my first attempt at world building.
> 
> finem00 did beautiful [Art](https://finem00.tumblr.com/post/621277386643832832/i-was-artist-for-a-second-story-for) and was a magnificent encouragement to me! Thank you so much for believing in this story when I wasn't sure I did!

The debt-slave regulations as agreed upon by all 18 Ministries of Earth upon the Treaty of Peace to end the war as witnessed and upheld by the Avengers, 7 years after the Famine of Galactus.

  * Slaves must be kept abreast of the debt still to be worked off
  * The children of slaves are not to be enslaved themselves, nor treated as such *unless a slave has died before their debt has been repaid, or their debt is too great for a single slave to pay
  * Debt-slaves must choose the initial bondage, it is not for another person to bestow on them *unless terms of bondage are broken or unmet
  * One person may choose to take the debt over another as long as it’s agreed upon by the master
  * Debt bondage may be extended if slave fails to meet terms of their debt
  * Slaves must be given at least 2 meals a day, 2 pairs of clothes, and a bed in a shelter
  * Slaves must be allowed to sleep at least 4 hours uninterrupted a 24-hour period
  * Because the bondage was chosen as a form of payment, escaping slaves shall be treated as thieves, with appropriate punishments including: lashing, branding, shackles, or other similar punishments that serve as physical evidence of their broken word.
  * If a slave leaves before terms are met, another familiar be taken as collateral
  * If the slave dies before the debt is repaid, reparations are to be made by the fiduciary or by next of kin
  * Slaves can choose to remain in bondage in exchange for payments made to their families even after the initial debt is paid.



As all agree, all shall uphold the law of debt-slaves so long as any remain enslaved to ensure a lasting economy. Signed into Global Law this day by each of the Council of Monarchs:

King Howard Stark, King Odin Borson, Queen Cynthia von Doom, King T’Chaka, King Brian Xavier, King Dane Whitman, Minister N’Daré Munroe, King Namor McKenzie, Minister Nico Minoro, Minister Brian Braddock, Queen Alison Blaire, Minister Alexander Pierce, Queen Janet van Dyne, King Jakob Eisenhardt, King Johann Schmidt, Queen Hazel Frost, Queen Ophelia Sarkissian, King Norman Osborne


	2. Prologue

**_Prologue_** : Richard and Mary Parker are walking home from the marketplace. Mary is holding their three-year-old son, Peter. They walk past the slavers, the Sinister Six, with a group of people surrounding 3 slaves, their yelling getting louder and louder as the runaway slave’s feet and hands are placed in stocks, shoulders held straight, as one woman heats a branding iron before passing it off to one of the men. The others from the gathered group hold each of the slaves steady as the man raises it up to the first slave’s face.

Without thinking, Mary passes her son off to her husband and runs forward.

“STOP!!” she yells. The man pauses, taking in the face of the enraged woman who is followed closely by an equally furious man holding a toddler.

“What right have you to injure these poor people so?” she asks.

“They ran away. You know the law. They tried to steal from their master and skip out on their debts.”

“They may have had reason. Did anyone ask why one man would simultaneously lose 3 slaves?” she demands, incensed.

“What is going on here?” resounds a voice behind them.

As she turns, Mary begins to hope on behalf of the poor souls.

“Chancellor Stane, these people have all run from one master. It would do well to know why all 3 felt running was the best alternative to paying off their debt. To brand them would be to permanently scar them for life, effectively enslaving them in perpetuity by reputation. I think we should get to the bottom of whatever happened with their master that they felt the need to run, rather than punish those who obviously need our help.”

“Though that makes sense-“

“Baroness Mary Parker.”

“Baroness Parker, the law says they must account for their crimes. I can do nothing.”

“You are one of the highest offices of the land- you aren’t even trying! Tell the King I think he’s a coward and a barbarian for still allowing this!”

“Madam, though I appreciate your passion, I warn you, take care with your words. Some might accuse you of dissent.”

“Well, I am certainly no supporter of any who would condone and allow such things to happen.”

Stane assesses her, then pointedly turns away to watch the proceedings, nodding to the riotous crowd. 

Mary and Richard become distraught, so Richard hugs their young son to himself, burying his face and sparing him the sight of what was to happen to those poor people. Nothing he could do, however, could block out their screams.

That night, Peter asks what happened.

“Sometimes there are bad people in this world,” Richard explains as he tucks his child in.

“And people know they are bad, but no one stops them,” Mary continues.

“But when people let it continue, when people can change things, and can take a stand but don’t, and then bad things happen, they happen because of those people.” Peter is too young to really understand what they’re saying, but he nods anyway. Later that night, he climbs in their bed and snuggles between his parents.

Two nights later, there is a lightning storm. Peter is scared and clutches his Neddy Bear as he runs to his parent’s room. When he gets in there, he sees his daddy and mommy struggling with… a machine. A machine with many arms, like a giant spider. He sees his mother fighting some of the arms, using a firestick poker. His father is holding him off with the bat he uses to teach Peter to play ball. Peter gasps, clutching his Neddy tighter. His father turns and puts a finger to his lips, shooing him away. Peter cries silently, torn between backing up and running forward to his parents. His mother sees him and gets a heartbroken look in her eyes, as suddenly, she looks directly at him, makes their special I LOVE YOU sign, then hits the creature with all her might. She has tears as she keeps all the creatures’ focus on her, giving his daddy enough time to grab Peter and hide him behind all the clothes in their closet. His dad lovingly caresses his head and gives him a kiss, then tells him to be very, very quiet, before he runs back out again.

Peter clutches his Neddy Bear, silently sobbing and being as noiseless as he can, terrified through the rest of the night as he listens to the storm and the monster, and he doesn’t hear his mommy or daddy even one more time.

His Uncle Ben and Aunt May come for him, packing up what wasn’t sold from inside the mansion to provide for all the tenants of his parent’s land. No one believes him when he tells them about the monster that killed his parents, instead mocking the grieving toddler- the little “spider boy,” and attributing his parents’ deaths to a robbery gone wrong.

* * *

Aunt May and Uncle Ben refuse to buy any debt-slaves, and the tenants of the land offer what they can for son of their kind, deceased Baron and Baroness, but that season a severe drought and famine hit, lasting several years. Uncle Ben works as hard as he can to prevent selling any of the land on which so many people depend. They lose Peter’s parent’s house, and then sell all their own possessions, until they finally resort to taking on a loan. But the famine continues. And now, the collectors have come.

Peter is far from naïve, and so much has happened his young life that by now he recognises the carriage that comes to their home. He is terrified and suddenly he is transported to that night 4 years ago when his mother and father said goodbye. Aunt May has tears in her eyes and Uncle Ben bends down and gives him a big hug, telling him he’s the man of the house now and he must be brave.

His Uncle Ben, who has held him through every nightmare. Who never forces him to speak when he is sad, who hands him his Neddy Bear and never laughs or calls him Spiderboy when he explains about his parents, who skips a meal with a kind smile whenever things get especially hard before seeing Peter or any of their land workers miss out. Who would rather go to the bad men than let Peter and Aunt May and all the people in their community go homeless. Peter sees a bad thing about to happen. And so, with trembling little legs, he decides to stand.

“TAKE ME INSTEAD!” the seven-year old yells, running quickly past both Uncle Ben and Aunt May. “I’ll work really hard, the very hardest, I promise. Take me!” he begs, standing as tall as he can and ignoring the shrieks and pleading of both his aunt and uncle. His eyes water, but he refuses to let them see his tears. He would make his mother and father proud. He would save his land’s tenants and his uncle. He would work hardest and longest and do his very best and be as obedient as he needed. He sees the gleam in the Collector’s eyes. A young boy, worth twice his weight in gold- malleable and energetic and worth decades and decades of work, rather than a broken old man whose back is bent and who is long used to being in charge. His smile gleams as he grabs the boy by the arm, putting him in the carriage despite the vehement protests of the only family he has left. He doesn’t even get to bid them one last farewell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, I tried to not make this a Katniss Everdeen moment, but it still rang like one no matter how many times I rewrote it, so I finally gave up and accepted the inevitable. Sorry.
> 
> Neddy Bear is how a three-year-old Peter pronounces Teddy, and is my nod to Ned.


	3. First Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is the biggest response I think I've ever received for a fic! I am overwhelmed and blessed, thank you all so, so much for your support! It is so nice to think all these many months of planning and writing this have paid off!
> 
> I feel it should be evident when a major theme is slavery, but please be aware there is objectification and dehumanizing language all throughout this story. If this is a trigger, turn back now and know it has a happy ending, the end.
> 
> Side note- I may be addicted to cameos.

Tony wants something… special for his birthday. He doesn’t know what; he just told Rhodey it should be unique and priceless. So naturally, they went all about the most expensive stalls in the marketplace. He tosses aside most of the artifacts and gadgets presented to him almost carelessly.

“You seem agitated, Tony,” Rhodey comments after apologising to yet another vendor.

“Obie is pestering again. Said the people are uneasy about me still having no wife and no heir. As though having a wife and kid will somehow make me invincible.”

“Well, it might settle you a little. Maybe. Plus, it would keep our ministry from civil war should anything ever happen to you. Your father was healthy until he wasn’t.”

“Well, that had more to do with a hovercarriage with faulty steering than his diet and exercise.”

Rhodey thought about it.

“Also, a mountain,” he reasons.

Tony shrugs, tossing aside an old crystal vision ball that Rhodey plucks out of the air, placing it delicately back on the table with another apologetic smile to the young woman manning the stall.

“He does have a point, you know. Say what you will about Howard, but the people at least trusted him and knew him. You’ve always been a rogue element as far as they’re concerned.”

“I’ve worked very hard for my reputation, I’ll have you know Rhodey Bear.”

“Yes, and that reputation is why the people want a queen.”

Suddenly, Tony stops, holding a hand on Rhodey’s chest suspiciously.

“Stane put you up to this. This pep talk, this outing- it was all him.”

“I agree with him, Tones,” Rhodey replies, not denying his accusation. “People respond to either consistency or grand gestures, and the people haven’t known you long enough for consistency and your grand gestures have always been…”

“Legendary? Refined? Explosive?”

“Selfish.” Rhodey isn’t smiling at his friend, and Tony drops his hand, betrayed. “You’ve never publicly demonstrated reasons why you deserve to be king of Manhattan.”

“Because I am Anthony, son of Howard, isn’t that enough for them?” he huffs angrily.

“Would it be enough for you?” his best friend challenges. He has no answer, and suddenly becomes very interested in a nano-bracelet.

The restless monarch picks up and discards many potential gifts, purchasing a few but still smarting from his conversation with Rhodey, until a chattel cart passes by. Rhodey and Tony both sneer at the cart full of a new batch of slaves, looking with disdain on the slavers and their cargo, which is being led to the largest stall in the market.

“I wish Howard had succeeded in voting to dismantle that ridiculous practice,” Tony mutters.

“The war nearly destroyed the world, Tony,” Rhodey replies, weary of the practice but realistic, nonetheless.

“Still. People should just pay their debts,” Tony answers, picking up a new laser knife and turning it around.

“Not everyone who goes into debtors’ slavery is lazy. Sometimes people have no choice and become desperate. You’ve always had other choices, so you don’t understand to properly appreciate those who don’t. Besides, more people would go into debt and starve if we abolished it completely. The way things stand, the entire economy rests on the custom. At least this way, they all have a modicum of a choice.”

“Great choice- get a real job or enslave yourself indefinitely. You chose it, so all is well,” Tony murmurs.

“Well, that's because you think you're above slavery and any who are a part of the system.”

“What would I do with a slave?” he scoffs back. “Pleasure slaves only tell you what you want to hear, household slaves have the ability to slit your throat when you sleep, and I've heard land slaves are all thieves.”

“Introducing King Anthony Stark, ladies and gentlemen, the man who is better than any of you lazy, poor, _indebts_ -holding slobs. Nevermind that not all _indebts_ come from menial labour backgrounds and not all owners use them for such. Meanwhile, you remain ignorant of what would push a person into debt labour, the desperation of trying to hold onto what you have to purchase an _indebt_ , or the burden carried by both slaves and their masters, who have to attend to their needs while also trying to ease their own loads.”

Tony just rolls his eyes at him and continues shopping.

He’s looking at a cart with especially shiny precious metals and possible gadgets to take apart to reinvent something better, when he hears a commotion from the current _indebts_ auction. A rare Life Slave is up for bid. He looks to be about 4, or maybe 10- Tony's not so good with kids’ ages. Or kids, for that matter.

The auctioneer, J. Jameson, is reciting the slave’s qualities. Tony glances at the crowd and suddenly sees too many nefarious-looking people with a too-worrisome spark in their eyes and greedy smiles on their faces. However, he is more interested in the boy that has caught their attention so. Though children _are_ rarer as slaves, they are far more valuable for the years of work one can get out of them. This boy is staring straight ahead, giving an occasional sniffle but otherwise bereft of the tears, sobs, wailing or utter dejection of the grown adults on the auction block behind him. The auctioneer is loudly stating the kid volunteered, a public guarantee of his authenticity.

When Tony observes him, he sees strength and gumption. For a child this young, the youngest slave he's ever personally seen, to have volunteered himself into a life as uncertain as debt labour, the boy must be very brave. A kind of bravery most people wouldn't value, focusing instead on a lifetime’s worth of a mouldable, complacent, dependent _indebt_. But Tony isn't most people. He assesses the boy, and then considers the other snivelling slaves behind him and the ravenous bidders before him. Suddenly, instead of a crowd anxious to buy cheap labour, he just sees a bunch of ingrates unworthy of the spirit in front of them.

He walks away from the booth where Rhodey is still holding baubles up in birthday offering. And he goes over to the one stall he's never before entered. He outbids them all with one obscenely high offer.

He disregards the crowd’s excitement at having the king amongst them, beckons Rhodey, and ignores his raised eyebrow. Rhodey hasn’t said anything and _won’t_ say anything. He’s been his friend since even King Howard was alive, and his loyal advisor is not in the habit of questioning his king. Except when he needs it.

When he takes him home, Tony stares at his new _slave_ , and realises with a start he’ll need a place to sleep. He instructs his chef to make the kid something, and while the boy picks at his food warily, he has the surprised servants prepare one of guest rooms closest to the kitchens. Rhodey smirks at his fidgeting and uncertainty in how to handle an _indebt_ and child. Tony glares at his friend, then addresses the small human in front of him… which he now owns…

“This is James Rhodes, my General, advisor, and friend. He’ll show you where you’re going to sleep.” Tony explains to the boy, then nods quickly and turns away, retiring to his chambers.

“You got a name kid?” Rhodey asks once it’s just the two of them.

“P-P- Peter, your General-ness, Sir.”

“Well, Peter, welcome to your new home.”


	4. And just what do you think you're doing?

“Tones, we got to talk.” Rhodey comes to him later that day while Peter is still following Tony's valet, Happy, around, touring the palace and grounds. “The most interaction you’ve ever had with slaves is sentencing them to the branders or lashers when they run away. And the longest you’ve ever been around a child is Princess Shuri, who we both know you only like because she could wipe the floor with you. What are you doing with this boy?”

“I said I wanted something special for my birthday. Now I got it. Besides, I didn't like the way that some of them were looking at him.”

“Then sign his papers, let him go, and give up whatever this is. He's a kid. Kids take a kind of attention and effort you generally like to avoid when it comes to people. Even _indebts_.”

Tony turns to his friend suddenly, something complicated in his expression.

“What kind of life did this kid have that made him sign up for this? What kind of people did he come from that _let_ him?”

“So…you want to save him… by enslaving him?”

Tony shrugs, pretending to be invested in one of the gifts King Charles had sent him.

“People saw me buy him, Rhodey. Besides, you said I needed to make a grand gesture.”

“So, build a library,” Rhodey pleads, worried about his friend and king and the boy who looked like he expected to be _punished_ at any moment.

“Hmm. The Tony Stark Library. Yes. We should do that. But, this too.”

Rhodey searches his king’s face, trying to understand him.

“So, you want to teach him a trade? Some type of life skill to help him be a better earner? That doesn’t make-“

Now Tony sounds irritated when he interrupts his friend. “Weren’t _you_ complaining I didn’t understand these people? Well, now I have a slave all my own to “understand.’”

“This is a person, Tony. Not a new plaything.”

“So, I can’t dress him up and take him for walks and brag that my slave is better than everyone else’s?” he retorts sarcastically. Rhodey just looks at him, then shakes his head.

“Be careful, Tony. There are so many ways this could go wrong.”

“Then I’ll sign his papers and throw him out on the streets again. Just for you.” Tony sneers, agitation and anxiousness crawling under his skin.

Happy brings the boy into Tony’s office when he’s (reluctantly) looking over his mountain of paperwork that Rhodey is trying to hand him. They both glance up.

“Ah, Happy, I see you’ve become acquainted with our new guest. Good. He’ll be here for a while.”

Happy doesn’t respond, simply nudging the boy in, then smiles encouragingly as he motions for him to stay where he is.

Tony continues reading through his papers, arguing with Rhodey over various budgets and trade agreements.

Finally, Tony looks up at the young child who’s been quietly standing in the corner, just staring at him.

“Come here, kid,” he beckons.

The boy walks to his side. “Yes, your Majesty?” he inquires timidly, though he keeps his head held high even as his eyes face down now he’s next to Tony. 

“What's the damage?”

The kid looks confused, finally looking up.

“Your debt.” The king explains. “How deep were you in? Or your family, who thought it would be better to give a child away rather than take responsibility themselves. How much do they owe?”

He looks at the king. His eyes narrow at the accusations against his family, but his gaze remains steady and somehow slightly defensive.

“I was told it was half a million tablets.”

Both men’s eyes shoot open wide.

“What was your family doing that cost half a million tablets?” Tony asks.

The child hesitates, then responds, “Is that relevant to my work, Sire?”

After a beat, Tony smirks as Rhodey snorts, then Tony reaches out and tousles the kid’s hair.

“Usually people answer when I ask them a question. I like you kid.” He smiles, then warns him. “Don't get too comfortable talking back.”

Rhodey’s communicator chirps, and he tilts his head to activate the earpiece, before bowing and leaving with one last look at the king and his new charge.


	5. Now You See Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, apparently I double posted originally. Oops.

Chancellor Stane, as expected, is ecstatic when he finds out.

  
“A house slave? Well, that’s great! And a Lifer, too. Very good, Tony.”

  
“Really? I would have thought given my father’s stance on it, you would have objected.” Tony sits on his throne, bored and fiddling with a magnetic mallet he was hoping to present King Thor of the Norttern-West Ministry one of these days. He keeps having trouble with the handle zooming horizontally toward the corresponding gauntlet, rather than vertically. An issue which could cause serious injury if not caught correctly. 

  
Stane smiles at him. “Not at all. Lifers make great slaves. They’re still so mouldable,” he explains.

  
He grins at the young boy, who is carefully balancing a tray with their beverages.

  
Tony rolls his eyes, indicating with his head where the boy should leave his drink, then instructing him to help Happy with carriage maintenance.

  
“Well, I’ve been told I need to empathise with them, so I figured I’d see what all the fuss was about.”

  
“Empathise? You’re the king, Tony. You only need to know how to rule- both freeman and slave equally.” 

  
He grabs Tony’s face in both his hands, still smiling at the monarch, who had nodded his agreement.

  
“I’m proud of you, Tony. You’re just as honourable a man as Howard, and you’ll be twice the king. You took this young boy out of the crowd, and now he’ll have valuable life skills, learning how to prepare food and drink orders and even a little vehicle maintenance. You’re a great man and a great ruler.”

  
Tony preens for a moment, then turns back to the strip of metal on one side of the mallet’s handle.

  
“I’m also building a library in the capital,” he murmurs, looking up at his closest advisor for approval.

  
Chancellor Stane beams at him, then turns and walks out of the throne room.

It’s been a week since Tony got his new slave, and the boy seems skittish when he comes into the room with Tony’s lunch. Tony eats voraciously, staring at the boy, who can’t seem to meet his gaze. A far cry from the child whose bravery caught Tony’s eye and whose polite boldness intrigued the world-weary king.

  
“Something wrong, Kid?” he asks around a cheeseburger.

  
The boy jumps, then looks hesitantly at the king, going to the corridor and unwrapping a bundle.

  
“You- Your Majesty. I just saw this, and it didn’t make sense with the weight distribution so I-“

  
“What are you talking about?”

  
The child holds up the mallet Tony had been working on the other day, a thin thread of metal wrapped completely around the handle. The boy holds the gauntlet out uncertainly. Tony puts it on, intrigued, throws the mallet, then pushes the button activating the magnet and watches in amazement as the mallet lands firmly at the correct angle in his outstretched hand.

Tony stares at the mallet in his hand, then watches the reticent boy in excitement.

  
“A coil! Didn’t think of that.” Then he looks at the kid. Really looks, and finally asks him, “And you did this yourself?”

  
“Uh- well, I asked the blacksmith, Miss Lahki, if she wouldn’t mind helping me. She melted and thinned out the metal-“

“Yeah, she’s good at that. Nice work, Kid.”

  
He gets up and starts walking, waving a casual hand indicating the boy should follow him.

  
He opens an ominous set of stone doors, beckoning the child behind him, who steps between them nervously, before his eyes widen as he takes in a large workspace filled with heaps of incredible gadgets.

  
“You’ll still be working with Happy, of course. Pick up all the skills he has to teach and help when he needs a spare hand or two. But, I think you’re wasted on just bringing me my drinks. This is the Lab. I come in here to play around with a few things. When I have ideas. I used to have more time when my parents… anyway, you’ll spend time with me in here. Eventually, you’ll learn how to work metals yourself, maybe make your own little inventions. Sound good?”

  
The gobsmacked boy continues drinking in the sights around him, mouth and eyes wide as he nods eagerly.

  
“Yes, Your Majesty.”

  
Tony smirks, basking in the boy’s amazement, as so few people are ever allowed in the Lab. Which reminds him-

  
“What’s your name, Kid?”

  
“Peter, Sire. My name is Peter.”

  
“Okay Petey, let me introduce you to the ‘bots.”

  
Over the next few months, Tony shows Peter how to melt, how to solder, and even proper safety standards for the lab, and then how to treat injuries resulting in not following proper safety standards for the lab. Then one day, when he’d has to send Peter three times to get the correct book, he realises the kid doesn’t know how to read as well as he’d assumed, and he barely knows how to write, relying instead on verbal cues and holoscreens. His mathematics are okay, even if quite basic. Tony is abruptly reminded he is dealing with a young boy, who would be learning these skills at a school, were he free.

  
He’s contemplating how to rectify the situation; he likes spending time with Peter all right, but as a relatively new king and an inventor extraordinaire, he doesn’t have time to also teach a slave boy basic letters and maths, especially when they would have no purpose in his actual duties. He asks Chancellor Stane’s, who tells him educating a slave would be a cruelty, like taunting the boy with a life he can never achieve. Tony isn’t sure he agrees, but he huffs, then brushes the issue to the back of his mind when he captures the attention of a Grand Duchess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how the physics of a catchable mallet (*cough* hammer) would actually work, nor if it would be feasible at all. I just needed a small plot device.


	6. A New Light

The Grand Duchess, as he discovers, is one of the best things to ever happen to him. Virginia “Pepper” Potts is witty, intelligent, and full of great ideas for a better ministry. Tony falls hard and fast. However, though he is immediately infatuated with her, she seems more interested in improving the lives of her duchy than romancing a king. She oft visits on high holidays and an occasional getaway, but she always seems reluctant to remain in the palace. And though Tony never notices, she occasionally glances at Peter, a complicated expression on her face, before taking her leave for home.

Peter himself seems to be getting on well in the palace. He wakes early each day, completes whatever task is assigned by Happy, absolutely absorbing whatever the man has to say. And he has a lot to say, whether it is about the differences between hovercarriages and horse-drawn crawling carriages, or horses themselves, or palace hierarchy when he reminds servants he’s in been put in charge, or even boxing. He has already charmed the palace blacksmith, Lahki, with his intelligence and respect for even the most tedious of her tasks. One day, she takes it upon herself to further teach Peter his letters and numbers, which he practices on holo-parchments in his quarters at night. When he isn’t with them, he is with Tony in the lab, where he learns both basic and intensely complex engineering principles. And the routine is nice. The king enjoys showing off his brilliance just as much as Peter enjoys learning from it. And Tony is confident that Peter finally understands that regardless of what mistakes he makes or how angry the king or anyone in the palace may feel at any given time, Peter will never be “punished” or abused.

Which is why it’s such a surprise to Tony when he passes Peter’s quarters one night several months in, to hear low, pathetic whimpering. He nudges open the door, calling Peter’s name, and receives no answer. When he snaps his fingers to turn on the lowest setting of the glow in the room, he’s shocked to find the child sweating, the covers tangled around him, and Peter himself thrashing, fear etched on his little face.

Peter is the first child Tony has actually been around… ever. Even Rhodey was a couple of years older than he, and so Tony is at a complete loss of how to calm the terrified little boy. He vaguely remembers his father’s valet, Jarvis, comforting him when he was a young kid, and he tries to remember what he’d done. All he remembers was feeling suddenly… _safe._ At another small cry from Peter, Tony instinctually reaches out, wrapping the boy in his arms and rocking him, making what he hopes are soothing sounds until his flailing falls off, and the whimpers die out. As he looks at the small child in his arms, trusting and sleeping peacefully once more, Tony feels a lurch of empathy run through his chest.

He wishes he could ask the boy what haunts him so, or that Peter would answer him if he did.

King Thor, upon learning King Anthony had finally consented to owning a slave, and a Lifer, no less, sends an _indebt_ named Bruce to serve as mentor and tutor to Peter.

Peter flourishes under Bruce’s tutelage, and Tony finds the man as equally intelligent as he is, if in different areas. When he asks how such a smart person could become an _indebt_ , Bruce squirms uncomfortably and vaguely mentions an accident and the cost of the repairs to his city.

Tony tells Rhodey during a council meeting that he’s so impressed with the two slaves he’s acquired over the last few years, that he wants to get more and see what they could do. Rhodey is sceptical of his king’s enthusiasm for slaves and asks him if he wouldn’t rather simply hire more servants who weren’t _indebts._ Chancellor Stane is nodding agreeably and Grand Duchess Pepper has an assessing expression on her face when Tony insists the _indebts_ he wishes to purchase would be valuable both as workers and as gifts. Rhodey frowns at Tony, about to argue with him, when Peter pokes his head in hesitantly. Tony stands, turns his back on the Ministry Council, and beckons the boy forward, who enters carrying a large, sticky glob.

“Sire… the adhesive well and truly sticks. Remember the plan was to make it mouldable? Well,” the kid explains with a helpless smile, holding up his encased hands, “it isn’t.”

King Anthony kneels in front of Peter, observing the adhesive and snorting at the boy’s helplessness. Peter, for his part, looks at his hands then shrugs, laughing with Tony at the ridiculousness of his predicament. Tony stands back up, leading the _indebt_ out and dismissing the Council meeting with a wave of his hand. He’s therefore not around to see Lady Pepper’s soft smile, Chancellor Stane’s outraged sneer, or General Rhodes’ contemplative look. The rest of the Council starts chattering until the Chancellor demands everyone leave the room immediately.

* * *

During Tony’s birthday celebrations, and the 3rd year since he’d purchased Peter, King Thor sits at the main table by Tony, along with his _indebt,_ Loki, and King Charles Xavier, Minister Ororo Munroe, and Queen Emma Frost.

“It gives me joy that you have finally seen the benefit of a faithful _indebt,_ King Anthony,” Thor starts, indicating the holoscreen by Tony for the other monarchs.

“Peter? Yeah, he’s great. Teaching him the basics of science.” Tony brags. “He acts as a sort of apprentice.”

“An _indebt_ apprentice?” Ororo asks in confusion.

“He helps out in my Lab, among his other duties,” Tony explains with a shrug, an uncomfortable feeling rising in him at the expression on the women’s faces.

Ororo doesn’t seem impressed, until Tony explains about Bruce and his progress with the boy. Emma scoffs and calls him sentimental, which- _no_ , that’s never been one of Tony’s defining qualities.

Charles seems excited for Tony, but also a bit melancholy, and eventually explains just how lonely he is, and how he yearns for a companion who won’t shy away at his telepathy. Thor encourages him to acquire an _indebt_ as well, someone who appreciates his brilliance but with just enough pluck to keep him from becoming complacent _._ Loki crosses his arms at this, giving his master a sarcastic _face_ if there ever was one. Tony is about to answer him when Lady Pepper comes in the dining hall and sits across from the king. She glances toward the holoscreen, which shows Peter, who is in the Lab, with a look of intense concentration still on his face as he attempts to mix what appears to be more of the now-mouldable adhesive in a large clay pot. Then, she gazes at Tony and smiles, asking if it would be all right if she stayed at the palace for another fortnight. Tony beams and agrees.


	7. Here Comes Trouble

Tony has taken to boasting that the _indebts_ have worked out so much, he needs to invest even more into the system. He gets so excited by the prospect and discusses reforms with Lady Pepper and Commander Rhodey to encourage optimal utilisation of debt-bondage _._ Peter pipes in with a suggestion or two, based on his observations in the holding house before he was purchased and his lessons with Bruce, going so far as to suggest stopping the practice altogether. 

Tony presses his lips together tight and looks away briefly, an indication he is displeased, before he meets Peter’s eyes and explains.

“You know why children are called Lifers, Petey?” The boy shakes his head, assuming their owners simply buy them for such great amounts it takes their whole lives to repay, and therefore demands life-long service, as in his case. Bruce calls it “good investment.” 

“It’s because they sign away their lives. Usually by the time they’ve paid their debts off, they’re too old to learn any new skills, and with no official work experience, they’re typically back in slavery within 2 years. And often, those who go into debt-slavery, even as adults, remain so for decades before they are able to pay off their balances. That’s _decades_ of free labour to the people who grow our food and dig our wells and make our carriages and clothes. Without that labour, some of those good, hardworking people’s livelihoods would vanish without any hope of recompense, and the slaves, who depended on their masters for their food and drink and shelter, now are forced out onto the streets, starving, with few means to sustain themselves or their families. Only now you’d have a group of ignorant, menial laborers with no jobs available, because the businesses who had to sustain only a person and a portion of the their debt now have to try to pay a wage high enough for those ex- _indebts_ to live independently and/or provide for their families. And what of the children like you? Do you even know the way back to where you were born?” Peter shakes his head, sadly.

“So, you’d be sent off to a children’s home, even assuming you still have a family out there, or you’d be like Bruce, and find yourself in a ministry across an ocean, with no means to cross it. Either way, the original debts that prompted you into slavery would still be there, especially if you or others sold yourselves _for_ the guaranteed food and shelter, which is how this whole thing started in the first place.”

Tony could tell Peter thought his explanation complicated and unfair. It _was_ complicated and unfair. But, now that the Lady Pepper had enlightened him some more and he’d done his research on the complexities of the global _indebts_ system, he knew it was so deeply in place it would take _years_ if any of the monarchs or ministers of the world even wanted to stop it. Which didn’t seem likely anyway. Not even _he_ had any desire to upend the status quo, aware now even more fully of the horrible conditions his ministry would face were he to end the practise, immediately dooming more than half his people, who were already dealing with famine, to poverty, supply shortages, and starvation.

While Peter doesn’t seem to fully understand the complexities keeping the _indebt_ system in place, he does understand the importance of food and water, and when he hears about the difficulties other ministries have with maintaining their water supply, he helps Tony draft up a plan to improve the Desert West Ministry’s irrigation and aqueduct system with King Anthony’s Ministry’s overabundant water resources. Once the system is in place, King Charles Xavier offers the luscious produce his ministry can now grow to Tony, along with favourable trade agreements advised by Bruce that benefit both lands.

Tony is impressed with and fond of both his slaves, to say the least, and eventually, though it pains him to lose such a good tutor and a fellow brilliant mind, he signs Bruce’s debt as paid off. He does offer him a position in the Capital as a science advisor, which the humble man readily accepts. The king bestows on him the title of head of the patent board and also grants him his own lab, where Bruce takes on a young apprentice named Harley, paying the boy weekly, supplementing the income for his family, who had also nearly gone into _debt_ when his father left.

He also does open a public library in the capital city and hires a few tutors to work there whose job was to teach ex- _indebts_ basic skills. He and Peter also map out an extensive city-wide garden, which could serve as an alternate food source for the capital’s citizens. Tony buys a few _indebts_ to maintain it, putting an old _indebt_ named Ho Yinsin in charge.

Eventually, Peter works up the nerve to ask Tony shyly how the _indebt_ system actually started. Tony is surprised but begins toying with the interconnecting colour-changing building blocks Peter is also fiddling with. He had hesitantly told Tony they were for babies when Tony had left them in his room on his Purchase Day, but Tony had replied that was a load of nonsense, as they were fun for all ages. Since then, they’d competed to see who could build the tallest tower (Tony), who could make the most elaborate castle (Tony), who could design the best pet (Peter), and who came up with the best spaceship (Peter). Today they were competing over who could build the best alternate form of transportation for crews of 4 or more. Tony was still trying to figure out if he needed to cheat to win this thing as he regaled Peter with the story Jarvis used to tell him repeatedly, in the hope of ensuring Tony understood the history of his ministry and world.

“Well, a long, long time ago, a man named Thanos declared himself Emperor of the world. He was a madman and evil and disguised his cruelty and hatred of life with lies about the “greater good.” Finally, the people, with the help of his own children, rose up against him, dethroning him and defeating any other would-be emperor. The group of heroes who defeated him proclaimed themselves avengers against all his crimes against the world. Afterward, the Avengers divided the land up, appointing ministers over each major area. Those ministries were further divided into grand duchies, then duchies, then earldoms, and then baronies. They named the leaders _ministers_ , which is another name for _servant_ , to remind them of their duty to the people. Over time, many of those ministers renamed themselves in the style of monarchs, placing their station over their responsibilities. Certain monarchs, grand duchies, and even barons began to strive harder and harder to attain and maintain more power, neglecting the people entrusted to them.

“A famine broke out, engineered by another madman named Galactus, and many lands were affected. Poverty increased and those with positions to help cared more for their own glut than staving off the starvation of their people. Wars broke out over trade agreements and supplies and people’s general feelings of helplessness over anything but killing. The Avengers helped stop the wars but, the slave-debt system grew out of serfdom. People sold themselves for food and housing on behalf of their families, or used themselves as collateral against loans, until the entire global economy became dependent on the practice.

“They say the Avengers returned again after the famine that nearly destroyed the world and convinced people like King T’Chaka, King Odin, Queen Cynthia, and even my own father, King Howard, to let common sense kick in and finally lobbied and passed global laws regulating treatment of debt-slaves, some good, and some not so good. Any modifications or exceptions, as with all global laws, must be voted on by a minimum of 7 monarchs, or more than 1/3 of the representatives as nations of the earth.

“So now, there are at least _some_ limits to how slaves may be treated, instead of the horrible conditions of the past.” He finishes proudly, staring at his contemplative ward. Peter seemed saddened by the end of Tony’s explanation.

“What happened to them? The Avengers who defeated Thanos and stopped the Galactus wars?”

Tony smiles at Peter.

“’Heroes always come from the most unlikely places when they are truly needed.’” He quotes the way Jarvis always ended his story. “There are quite a few _different_ stories on that, Kiddo.” Happy enters the throne room, stepping nimbly over the building blocks for Tony’s transport and leading a group of people behind him. “Speaking of slaves… What do you have for me today, Happy?”

“Sir, can I just say I still disapprove?”

“Yeah, yeah, owning people is wrong, even if it does mean cheap labour, yada yada- what did you bring me?” he repeats.

Happy sighs, indicating each person as they step forward.

“This is Nebula- skilled in multiple fighting techniques and battle… as you can see, she’s also cybernetic. Figured she’d be good for the high guard. Hank Pym, scientist specialising in molecular biology. Jane Foster- nurse, self-explanatory why I chose her, with all your close-calls. Raven Darkholme- she’s feisty, and she can transform to imitate any person, including voice, but you mentioned you wanted someone with spirit. Carol Danvers- an ex-army scientist and captain of her regiment, and last but not least- Steve.”

“Steve?”

“Yes sir.”

“And what does “Steve” do?”

“He draws.”

“Draws?”

“Pictures.”

“Ah. Yes. That should… be useful.” He shares an amused look with Peter, who is adding- is that more helix fans? Yes, he was definitely going to cheat today. “Send Nebula and Carol out to Rhodey, I have him stationed in Hill’s duchy. Send Jane to the hospital downtown and Hank to Bruce, he mentioned he needed more people who understand him to help with his current project. It’s nearly Charles’ birthday, so we’ll send Ms. Darkholme as a companion to him along with my regards, be still, I mean companion in a literal sense, nothing sketchy, and Steve…”

“Your Majesty?” the slave answers sharply as Happy leads the others out.

“You draw?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Good. This is Peter. He’s 10 and brilliant. He’ll keep an eye on you until you tell me why you’re really here.”

“Sire?”

“You’re a big guy, Steve. Surely you can do more than just… draw. I don’t like being tricked and Happy picked you for a reason, even if he won’t really say. I’ll figure it out.”

Steve quirks an eyebrow at him, and Tony has the distinct impression he’s being mocked.

“For now, it’s two months to Pepper’s birthday. I’ll show you some holographs and you can attempt to do her justice.”


	8. I don't do sentiment. Really. I don't

When Pepper receives his gift, she smiles her slow, sweet smile for him. Chancellor Stane holds out his goblet in congratulations and asks about the artist.

“Names’ Steve. Steve-the-artist,” Tony answers skeptically. “He draws. Bought him a couple of months ago, but turns out he actually is pretty good at art. He’s also made himself at home directing my household staff. I’d be upset, but he’s not a bad leader. Might give him the job for real and promote Happy.”

Pepper smiles. “Good. Happy deserves it. When can I meet this Steve?”

Tony looks around the ballroom, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“He’s right over there, talking with Commander Hill’s second in command. That sniper she always brags about. Baggie? Blackie?”

“I think his name is Bucky.” Pepper says. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Seems to know him is all,” Tony mutters absently, barely loud enough for her to hear, then glances up at his chancellor. “Not at all,” he continues loudly. “Lady Maria mentioned wanting a portrait done of her husband. Buckeye is probably giving Steve the details.”

Tony spends the night dancing with Pepper and playing good host. Bruce has brought Harley, with whom Peter spends the entire night chatting away. King Charles comes with Raven, who stands beside his hoverchair, laughing much of the night. King Thor and Queen Sif, newly married, spend much of the night showing each other off to everyone else from different ministries. Queen Emma is in a corner with her Prince Consort, Logan, eyebrow raised and a small smirk on her face they watch Loki and Minister Ororo each conjure up small, contained storms, of which Logan seems to be the judge. 

All in all, it’s a good night, filled with dignitaries, ministers, queens and kings from all over the world, and Tony is in his element. He and Pepper are standing in a small group, watching Nebula remove or adjust different body parts- Rhodey had asked if she felt comfortable doing so and she replied she’d spent years reclaiming her body, and now it was her own party trick to show how thoroughly she owned herself, especially since Rhodey had recently signed her papers and released her from her debt. A look at the pure _compassion_ in Rhodey’s face told Tony who had truly paid this amazingly-built (from a purely mechanical point of view) woman’s life-debt off. Minister Ororo explains to Tony that Nebula agreed to move to her Mid Norttern-West ministry to act as a liaison for her and other armies. Tony doesn’t miss the sneers King Victor Von Doom and Queen Ophelia Sarkissian II send Ororo’s way upon hearing this. He’s just about to open his mouth to start an argument, when he spots Peter out the corner of his eye, listing tiredly from side to side across the room. He excuses himself and arrives at Peter’s side at the same time as Pepper and Steve.

“I think it’s bedtime, Petey,” Tony declares, laying a hand on his shoulder as he leads him from the room. Peter is barely coherent, rubbing his eyes in a vain attempt to stay awake.

“What if you need something, Sire?” he asks with a slur, his feet barely moving at this point as they stop in a corridor at the top of the stairs. Tony huffs, then lifts the kid up into his arms, carrying him to his quarters.

“I’ll take care of anything the king needs, Pete,” Steve says, assessing Tony and the bundle in his arms. Tony lifts his head, challenging him to comment. They get down to Peter’s room, where Pepper has already pulled down the covers on his bed. She smiles as Tony lays him down gently, removing his shoes and the formal jacket the kid had donned for the occasion.

“Happy Birthday, Lady Potts,” Peter mumbles sleepily.

“Thank you very much, Peter,” she replies, pulling the covers over him. She gives Tony a fond look when he snaps on the lowest glow in Peter’s room before heading back out to the party.

“How do you know Blanky?” Tony asks a smirking Steve, who has pulled out one of his ever-present fruits from his pocket and started chewing it.

“Who, Your Majesty?” Steve inquires with a frown.

“Bucky,” Pepper corrects.

“Apparently the greatest sniper in my armed forces,” Tony reiterates accusingly.

“Oh, him.” Steve acknowledges with a shrug. “We knew each other when we were kids. Life’s taken us in different directions, but we were best friends as boys. I’m even the one who named him Bucky, when he decided James didn’t fit him quite right. It was nice to be able to catch up with him.”

Tony narrows his eyes, looking for a lie in Steve’s story. He doesn’t think he’s lying, but he’s still not sure he completely trusts his new slave- the huge man who claims his main skill is drawing, but who also is closely acquainted with someone who serves under one of his highest ranking soldiers. Tony considers him a little more, then decides he’s telling the truth.


	9. A Storm is Brewing

Five days later has them sending the last of the foreign guests off, and Tony goes to meet Pepper in the garden. Steve and Chancellor Stane are also there, Steve trimming various large tree branches and Obie going over the ministry’s projected financial reports.

“Everyone has gone and I was even civil to Doom,” the king reports to the Grand Duchess, walking over to give her a peck on the lips.

“Hmm. Good boy. Did Peter finish his studies?” she asks as she marks out some superfluous expenditures.

“For the rest of the month,” Tony informs her, a proud tone in his voice.

“Didn’t you just hire that tutor-“

“Three days ago,” Tony beams. “Boy’s smart. Must take after me.”

“You hired a tutor for your _indebt_?” Chancellor Stane screeches incredulously, his head whipping around to stare at Tony in shock.

“As I said, the boy’s smart. Smarter than most people at court any day. Ministry could benefit from more kids like him.”

“Tony… don’t you find it cruel? You have children- _real, free_ children who don’t get that type of education, yet you tease this poor boy with the promise of a life he will never have and skills he won’t ever need.”

Tony glowers at Stane.

“Well, as you pointed out, Chancellor, the boy is _mine_ and under the law I have all power over him. A power I have decided to use to educate him.”

“He’s not your son, Tony,” Stane patronises with a cruel, humourless smile.

Tony stares him down angrily.

“And I am not _yours_ ,” he reminds.

They face off silently for a few more minutes, before the Chancellor seems to remember himself and takes his leave.

Sometimes Happy or Pepper purchase his new slaves, and sometimes Tony goes out and buys them himself. He usually makes sure they are Lifers: slaves whose debts exceed a reasonable expected lifespan, and he then distributes them throughout his vast ministry and his business empire, occasionally gifting one to a neighbouring king or queen. He seems to buy larger quantities of _indebts_ anytime he goes to the market or when sends Happy, much to Peter’s dismay. Though the boy never comments, Tony sees his face fall each time he assigns his new slaves to various positions far and wide.

It is a frequent argument with Chancellor Stane, who wishes the king would stop “wasting funds” on more household servants when he has plenty of free labour he keeps purchasing. So far, only Peter and Steve are _indebts_ in his household, and he doesn’t seem keen on keeping any more. When the arguments between them get especially heated, he cites Kings Thor, Queen Emma, King T’Challa, and King Charles, none of whom have more than 3 _indebts_ in their households, and Minister Ororo, who has none, though they too have all seen the value in purchasing multitudes of _indebts_ for a steadier labour force throughout their ministries.


	10. The Legend of the Avengers

Several months later after assigning him menial task followed by menial task, Tony has Steve running the palace, officially. He mentors Peter, and the boy takes to him quicker than he had taken to anyone else except Tony. Steve draws him pictures as often as he asks- Peter’s favourites are of the Avengers of old, who saved the world from Thanos and returned time and again whenever people really needed them.Every time he humbly requests a drawing, he describes the traits of the imagined hero, and Steve always gives him a fond smirk as he sketches out the characters from whatever description Peter’s imagination gives. He always gets so excited when he receives a new picture, a look of longing on his face as he time and time again confesses his wish that he could be an Avenger too. Tony scoffs when he hears Steve tell stories of the Great Famine of Galactus or the near- destruction of the ministries during the Kang uprising, and they often argue on different versions of each tale they relate to Peter.

* * *

Peter still gets nightmares. Tony runs into the boy’s room on instinct once more, as he has on so many.

“Hey, Kid. You’re safe. You’re safe here,” he says, shaking him awake, pulling him to his chest as he rocks Peter back and forth, running fingers through his hair.

“S-sor-rry yo-our M-majesty,” the child cries, trying and failing to speak clearly.

“Nah, what’s there to be sorry about? Everyone gets a nightmare sometimes. I do too.”

“You do?” Peter gasps, cries winding down to pitiful gasps for breath.

“Sure. Like I said, pretty sure everyone does. You just got to calm down,” he replies, at a loss.“Think good thoughts.”

“Okay.”

“Want a story?”

“Y-yes sir.”

“Okay. Well, I heard Steve telling you that nonsense about 6 Avengers, is that right?”

“Yeah! He said there was a marksman, an assassin, a captain, a metal warrior, a shapeshifter, and a god.”

“Don’t listen to him, that’s ridiculous. My mother and Jarvis told me plenty of stories about them.It was a _flyer_ , sometimes 2 or three, a sorcerer, a warrior, a spy, a captain, a sharpshooter, a soldier, and a monster.”

“Sire?” he hedges curiously.“What’s the difference between a warrior and a soldier? What makes a monster a monster? And what was the captain of?”

“I don’t know, Petey. That’s just the way the stories always go. Time and again when they appeared, they fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. Always different yet always the same.”

“Sometimes, I wish I could be an Avenger. But they must’ve been really old, right sir?” he had stopped hiccupping, pulling away just long enough to grab one of the old story books by his bed that Tony had read when he was his age, which had made its way into Peter’s room when Tony realised just how fascinated the boy was.

“Ancient. Ages and ages. They used to fight in every battle and shaped the world as we know it.”

“I wish the Avengers still existed. Steve says they always show up when they’re needed most.”

Tony looks at the trusting little boy on his chest and shrugs. “Who knows, kid. All stories start somewhere. Maybe they do.” He hugs Peter to him, regaling him with more stories with which he had grown up until the child falls into a more peaceful sleep.

When he walks out of the room, Steve is right outside in the corridor, crunching on a fruit and leaning against the wall.

“Due respect, Your Majesty, there _were_ originally 6 Avengers. Everyone knows that.”

“If everyone knows that, then where did the other three come from?”

Steve-the-artist smirks.

“Maybe the problems of your father’s time needed them.”

“Meanwhile, in the real world, we have famine after drought after famine and kids like Peter get stuck indebted to shmucks like me. Where are your Avengers now?”

Steve shrugs, throwing the core and landing it perfectly in the bin down the hall.

“Maybe they’re waiting for us to be the heroes.”


	11. Monger

Stane grows increasingly hostile towards Peter the more the years pass, insisting he be sent out as all other slaves have been. 

“Aww, but Obie, you’ve been wanting me to keep more slaves here for years. Then, I listen to you, and you complain.”

“You’re treating the boy above his station, Tony. Trust me on this, I know how these things tend to go. People get ideas, and then those ideas spread dissent.”

“Well, Peter’s last “idea” made the ministry an annual 13 million tablets and afforded most people an extra day off from work and a huge contribution to our savings.”

“You’re the king, Tony. I just don’t want to see your kingdom destroyed because people get _ideas_.”

Tony turns to his oldest advisor with a huff.

“I like ideas. Ideas lead to growth and change in my _ministry._ ”

“Are things so bad we need change?” Obadiah responds desperately.

“Not everywhere.” Tony shrugs in agreement. “And nowhere near how they were in the past. But, I’d like to prevent rather than redress. Peter tells me his parents were working to change things as barons before their deaths. Didn’t have a single debt-slave and thrived until years of a sudden famine and a streak of bad luck.”

“Idealistic notions of a child. The _ministry_ \- the world- thrives with the debt-bondage system. There are some who are just more suited to certain kinds of work, and obviously if they were foolish enough to get into bondage to begin with, they shouldn’t be weighted down with the burden of freedom.”

“Peter wasn’t foolish. He was just a boy with a streak of bad luck. Steve was smart enough to be sent out to oversee my new Department of _Indebts_ Placement for all the slaves my ministry purchases. Bruce’s scientific reforms have provided water and food to previously dry lands. King Charles tells me Raven has become his most competent assistant and has even worked with him to reform the education system of his entire ministry, a system I plan to expand here. King Thor’s slave Loki is his most trusted advisor after all these years together, and he often works as diplomat in court. There is no inherent difference between _indebts_ and freemen besides opportunity, education, and resources.”

Suddenly, his new _indebt,_ Natasha, walks in. Stane doesn’t even try to hide his lustful gaze as she serves both men their food. Tony admits he’s taken a few appreciative glances her way, but he doesn’t like the way Stane visually devours the woman. And, given she’s not a pleasure slave but a competent woman who has set to managing his palace in Steve’s stead, he’s actually insulted on her behalf.

“She’s mine, Pepper said,” he huffs at the Chancellor petulantly. “And I don’t share,” he adds in a warning tone.

“Actually, I believe my exact words were, ‘you can’t have one,’” Pepper corrects as she walks in. “Hello, Obie,” she greets with a smile.

“Your Majesty,” the Chancellor turns to her, kissing her hand and giving an obsequious little bow.

“The wedding’s not for a few more months, Chancellor. Just Pepper is fine. As to Natasha, I found her to run the household, not for your viewing pleasure,” she raises a warning eyebrow at both men.

“No viewing. My eyes are focused solely on the future queen of my ministry,” Tony recites obediently, leaning in for a kiss, before leading Natasha away to discuss a few issues Peter had pointed out in the palace.

“Obie, I wanted to talk to you about these payments. I thought I said we shouldn’t be funding as many lashers and branders until we get to the source of the mutilators, especially since more and more often, enflamed mobs tend to believe they have the right to carry out their own justice, branding and maiming _indebts_ who don’t warrant it simply because they can, encouraged by those gangs who claim to be professional contractors.”

“Such gangs are just rumours, Pepper, I’ve had my sources check it out.”

“Last year in our ministry alone we had over a 3 dozen _indebts_ and over 70 _indebt_ owners complain to their local agents over being attacked by a group calling themselves the 10 Rings. These people are powerful and well-funded and until we can find proof that those who are harming _indebts_ are different people from those who are paid to punish them under the guidelines of the law, I don’t want them to gain a single cutting from us.”

Stane looks at Pepper, his sneer patronising and almost angry as he leans in close to her, remarking lowly in her ear.

“Well, as you said, Pepper. You’re not queen yet.”


	12. Betrayed

Later that day, Tony is giving Natasha a tour of his lab.

“You really think you’re helping people?” she asks, a mixture of accusation and curiosity in her voice.

“Sire- Oh.” Peter comes in, sees Natasha and takes a step back.

“Come in, Kid. This is Natasha. Pep thinks she’ll be good to run the house, so I was giving her the ol’ five-cutting tour.”

Peter comes in, holding a parchment up to Tony, showing him his newest design.

Natasha, meanwhile, looks around his lab, browsing his other parchments and holoscreens.

“What’s this?” she asks, pointing to a design for a ‘bot that seemed to be bent over with a long hand raking the ground.

“These are a few collaborations between Petey and me. This one tests moisture and nutrients in the soil, so farmers know what has the best chance of growing each season.” He smiles at Peter, and excitedly begins to show Natasha around the Lab.

“This is a special adhesive; it sticks to anything- strong as spiderweb and far more malleable than superglue or tape. _This_ is a mechanical dog- not only helpful for kids with allergies, but it speaks the news and weather and alerts local authorities if you have an intruder or a health emergency.”

She seems genuinely interested, so Tony preens for his new captive audience.

“Petey also designed special holo-parchments that capture images. We’re going to attach them to glow balls using our special adhesive for the wedding. Get a few dozen angles simultaneously.”

“That’s impressive,” Natasha responds with a nod.

“It’s for Lady Pepper’s sake, His Majesty needs his head to grow no larger,” Peter informs with a smile. Tony scruffs his hair then playfully shoves him. Peter laughs then shows Natasha one of said parchments, which reflects her face until she sees her image staring back at her. Her lip twitches up ever so slightly, then she turns back as Tony continues.

“Anti-gravity device. Super-sonic roller blades. Bionic limbs. Best Ultimate Super Hero outfit of all time-“ he declares, pointing to a robotic armour. “Peter and I had a contest to see who could come up with the best idea for a suit if superheroes like Avengers were real. I won.”

“It was a tie!” Peter calls, in a tone that indicates this was a _very_ old argument.

“Spandex and Kevlar over metal? Inferior.” Tony was too dignified to stick his tongue out to a teenager, but it was a close thing.

“Flexibility, stealth, and agility over clonking around letting everyone know where you are and that you can get stuck in your outfit,” Peter shoots back. They continue to bicker, actually bringing a small smile to Natasha’s face.

He proudly takes her through their workspace, showing off their inventions and innovations. Peter follows, gaining confidence to share his input as well as they both continue to squabble.

Finally, Natasha pulls aside a large diagram of new power conductor that produces cleaner, more reliable energy than air or coal for those areas not yet using arc reactor technology, revealing a fading schematic of an invention she hadn’t seen in the lab.

“What is this?”

“Oh,” Tony says, waving his hand flippantly, coming up behind her. “That was an old project I worked on years ago. It was to help assembly lines become more dependable when a lot of the previous workshops became unreliable or downright dangerous. I call it the Amazing Super Spider.”

“Amazing Super Spider?” Natasha repeats dryly, unimpressed with his acronyms already.

He gives her a Cheshire smile, then starts telling her of all the things he’d made his Amazing Spider capable of doing before the plans and prototype had been stolen, but when his guards had retrieved it, it had gone haywire and he decided it wasn’t worth the trouble to fix it.

* * *

 _Upon Natasha’s reveal of a parchment he’d never before seen, all the colour drains from Peter’s face. He remembers his parent’s screams, the terror on their faces when he saw his mother for the last time, the sadness of his father as he went back to face the horror of his worst nightmares. The nightmare that_ Tony _had created._

_His breath starts coming faster, tears streaming down without his consent._

_”Peter?” he hears someone saying, but it’s not the king- not Tony._

_It’s his mother, telling him to come inside. His father tossing a ball to him, before taking him to the marketplace and showing him his numbers. His mother reading stories to him at night._

_Then comes afterward- after the creature no one believed existed destroyed his family, his people, his home. The creature that was real- that was created by the one person left in the world he trusted, he depended on- the only one left he… loved. And he- King Anthony, his master, mentor, and friend, was the who took everything from him._

_Suddenly, the only thing that mattered was never, ever seeing him again._

Peter turns out the door and runs _._


	13. Lost and Found

After seeing the look on Peter’s face when he saw the “spider”, Tony decides to give him a few minutes to process… whatever horrible emotion the plans for an outdated design seemed to bring up for the kid. By the time Tony realises Peter’s not simply taking a few moments in one of his many hiding places he’s acquired over nearly a decade, the boy is _long_ gone from the palace and away from the safety of Tony’s protection from the lashers, killers, mutilators, the legendary 10 rings, other slavers, and kidnappers who will ship Peter to another ministry where he doesn’t know anyone and where Tony can’t get to him… and all the other people Tony’s terrified mind can conjure. 

Tony looks for Peter desperately, sending out dozens of agents and soldier groups, recalling Steve and Rhodey to lead the search parties, and telling Pepper to wait at home for any news. He personally combs every street he can, using both his and Peter’s funny “heroes” as search-and-rescue bots and enlists the help of all the people Tony can think of, from Bruce to Jane to Lahki and even reaching out to neighbouring ministries in the vain hope he had made it there somehow.

It takes two weeks before he and Rhodey find him. Their holoscreens come alive with rumours that a runaway slave of the king himself is to be punished in Stark Square in one of the cities of Duke Hammer’s duchy as an example to all others who would dare cross their master.

In a horrible imitation of their first meeting, Peter is once more chained in front of a crowd. The thick collar around his neck and shackles around his ankles say enough. And as Tony makes his way through the crowd, he is terrified to see a red-hot branding iron being lifted to Peter’s face.

“STOP!!!” he cries, calling attention to himself and the small but terrifying group with him. Peter was _his_ and he had gone to the corners of the earth to get him back.

The procession that makes its way to the branding gallows is an odd one indeed: not just Steve-the-artist, but Natasha, General Rhodes, and Happy; King Charles Xavier, and Raven, King Thor and his four commanders and Loki, King T’Challa and Shuri, Minister Ororo Munro with Queen Emma and Prince Consort Logan Frost and Nebula, and even Bruce and Hank and Carol Danvers and Jane Foster and Commander Hill and General Barton and Sergeant Bucky.

Never let it be said that King Anthony Stark couldn’t make an entrance.

“No one touches that boy!” he yells, and the rage in Tony’s eyes reminds everyone that his father was once known as the Merchant of Death to any who crossed his path.

The lashers and branders standing on the scaffold- the same sociopaths who still call themselves the Sinister Six- all turn to look at the procession. Then, their leader, Otto Octavius, whose methods of torture had become renowned for being so precise, excruciating, and all-encompassing he was given the nickname “Doctor Octopus,” turns to address the royal crowd.

“All due respect, your Majesty. This boy is a runaway slave. I’ve been given full jurisdiction over the punishment of slaves by Chancellor Stane himself.”

“I am your king,” Tony replies furiously, “And I command that you return the child to me unharmed and immediately.”

“Again, all due respect, sir,” Duke Hammer interrupts from his seat on a dais overlooking the proceedings, “a runaway slave is a runaway slave by global decree. Not even your Majesty can circumvent a global law.”

Many of his group put their hands to their weapons, but Happy simply presents a piece of parchment to the king, which he immediately holds up.

“Ah, but the boy is no runaway slave.”

“Your Majesty,” declares yet another voice in the crowd, as Chancellor Stane makes his way to the front of the group, “I can personally attest that this is your _indebt_ Peter, who-“

“Who is my lawful heir and therefore free from all debts formerly owed in his name,” Tony declares imperiously.

He takes no little satisfaction in watching the colour drain from Stane’s face, even as he sees Peter’s eyes widen in surprise.

Yet, the Chancellor shakes it off, stepping forward and, full of condescension, explains, “Your Majesty, as you know I have all respect for the crown. But even your gracious self is aware that decrees of this kind must be recognised by no fewer than ten grand dukes and duchesses of your own land or seven other monarchs. And, since I don’t remember being asked to sign, and since there are only six royals other than your magnificent self here, I believe the boy’s claim to the any royal inheritance is still very much in question.”

“Then you should really have your eyes checked, Obadiah,” Tony says disdainfully, unrolling the scroll. “so you could see the signatures of all four kings and queens present, and the signature of my wife, Queen Viriginia Stark, giving _me_ all rights over Peter Parker, free citizen and lawful member of my household.”

Stane walks up to him with an arrogant smile, throwing a familiar arm around his neck.

“Tony-“

“ _King_ Anthony,” he corrects furiously. “And I believe Commander Hill has some questions for you, _Mr._ Stane.” Steve, Commander Hill, Sergeant Bucky Barnes, Shuri, Carol, and even Prince Consort Logan all surround the ex-Chancellor, leading him off and away from Peter.

Tony turns back to the platform and spits at Hammer.

“Well? Give me my kid.”


	14. Yours and Mine

Peter, when he is released, is directed by General Rhodes into a carriage. He is still incredulous and confused at all the events of the day, yet he still crosses his arms and looks away when the king joins him.

“Hey, Petey.” Tony tries weakly. “You missed the wedding.”

Peter remains sullen and sad, refusing to turn towards parents’ murderer.

“Thank you,” he mutters, eyes fixed out the window.

“No problem.,” Tony fidgets, clapping his hand over his fist before snapping his fingers. “So… Turns out Natasha was sent as a spy,” Peter looks at him at that information. “A few of my inventions have been… abused over the years. She was sent to figure out why. Won’t say who sent her yet, but now I get it, at least. Seems Stane had a side business, but we don’t know with whom.”

Peter nods, trying to process the new information, but pain crosses his faces and he stares back out the window.

“So… two weeks. And not even my best soldiers, scouts, or inventions found you. Until suddenly you’re publicly and dramatically endangered. Imagine that,” Tony muses, trying to catch the boy’s eye.

Peter swallows and remains silent for a long time, still not facing the king. Finally, he shrugs.

“I just wanted to go back home,” he admits quietly. Tony reaches a tentative hand out, laying it on Peter’s shoulder. When he turns to Tony, there is moisture in his eyes, as he admits just as softly, “and I knew you’d come for me.”

“Always,” Tony confirms, and relief seems to sweep over Peter like a wave.

* * *

They stay at a large inn that night, Peter contemplatively silent until he passes out from exhaustion. Tony is in conference on his communicator all night long.

The next day, Tony promises he will explain everything to Peter and asks that Peter trust him for a little while, if he can. He still hasn’t pressed the issue of the spiderbot, and Peter has dark circles under his eyes, so Tony knows he had a fitful sleep.

Peter nods, inhaling a shaky breath before going back to staring out the window. They drive on for quite a while, and Tony sees when Peter realises things don’t look as familiar to him, but yet… do.

“Where are we?”

“Pep has been busy lately. We looked everywhere for you. Did a bit of research. Found out where you came from. Figured it’s time we got you home.”

Peter looks up at him sharply, now searching out the window for familiar features in excitement.

The land they pass is rich and fertile, crops high and full of workers who glance up and wave as the royal hovercarriage passes by. Suddenly, when Happy pulls the hovercarriage to a stop, it’s in front of a house Peter hasn’t seen in nine long years. And, coming out of that house is someone he didn’t think he would ever see again.

“Stay here. Let me explain things to them. Please,” Tony instructs.

May Parker comes out to meet the carriage warily, greeting Tony with a bow.

“Your… Majesty. What a very unexpected surprise. How may we serve you, Sire?”

“I’m looking for May and Ben Parker.”

Uncle Ben makes his way around the house, coming to stand next to his wife.

“I am May, and this is my husband Ben. Is something wrong, Sire?”

“No. Well, hopefully what was wrong will be made right,” the king amends. Then he huffs, tapping his holoscreen for proof of all he tells them. “Thirteen years ago, your brother and his wife stood up to the law as it was being enforced by Chancellor Obadiah Stane. Apparently three slaves of Duke Justin Hammer had run away, and they argued with the prescribed punishment.”

“Yes sir,” Ben confirms cautiously, tightening his arm around his wife.

“It has been revealed to my people that Chancellor Stane has long been networking with Duke Hammer and at least 3 other ministries in a plot to take over the 18 realms and set King Victor von Doom as Lord Emperor, using the debt-slave system as a catalyst for fear and economic control. Even small dissent had to be crushed. We found out last night he took a creation of my own making and used it to murder all who would stand against him, and it is he who was responsible for both Mary and Richards’ deaths.”

May and Ben clutch each other, and tears roll down their faces. The king hands them each silk cloths to wipe their eyes.

“There’s more, I’m afraid.” Rhodey approaches and hands him some documents, which he then presents to the Parkers.

“They had an entire network called the 10 Rings: spies and people working everywhere, in every part of every ministry, deeper than we could imagine. People whose job it was to create fear and worry, to perpetuate the system and to ensure a dependence on slavery and cause mistrust in those in power, until eventually one saving Emperor would offer hope to a desperate and hungry world. So, they diverted streams, demolished dams, and sowed and sold worthless crops- creating droughts in some places and flooding in others, destroying whole economies and creating famines. And therefore perpetuated debts. Which caused an increase in Lifers the likes of which we’ve never even anticipated.”

Ben and May, though still listening, deflate at that last statement, looking into each other’s eyes with tears and understanding.

“Peter- he was right. Perhaps if more people listened-“

“Sorry?” Tony asks, confused, as Peter never mentioned a conspiracy theory to him.

“Our nephew, Peter, Mary and Richard’s son, he used to tell everyone about how a giant spider murdered his parents. We believed he saw _something_ that night, he was found in a closet the next evening when they discovered Mary and Richard’s bodies. But we never would have imagined… Most people said he’d gone insane, called him all sorts of names. Perhaps if we tried harder to put a stop to it… He’s gone now. Traded himself for me. Saved our whole barony it turns out, especially since we could afford that new irrigation system of yours.” Ben breaks down at the last sentence, a decade of pain flooding through him.

“I know,” Tony confirms. “Peter Parker was sold almost immediately to a pompous, selfish, immature, greedy, insecure and possessive man.” The thought of it is making May clutch her heart in fear and heartache for her poor nephew. “But, over time… he taught me to be different,” Tony smiles kindly, chuckling at their gob-smacked expressions. “proved to me I had a heart. Taught me how to share and laugh and… how to be _good._ Which leads me to why I came here. Peter, come down here,” he calls. The newly appointed free citizen comes carefully out of the carriage, barely breathing as he takes a step toward his aunt and uncle.

They both run forward, meeting him halfway and holding him as tightly as either can manage, with Aunt May kissing his face and Uncle Ben holding him close and all three of them laughing and sobbing and feeling so much emotion it is hard to form words.

“Peter is legally a member of the my household, and debtless.” Tony explains, once they all can breathe again. “I came because you are still his free guardians. I wanted to know, should he ever find it in himself to forgive me, and it was all right with you, if I could fully adopt him as my son.”


	15. Resolutions

King Victor Von Doom and all his associates are found guilty of conspiracy. Those monarchs who had plotted against foreign ministries were all deposed, and their ministries passed on to either their children or, as in Doom’s case, local high-ranking proven ministers, like Reed Richards.

The others, such as Obadiah Stane and Justin Hammer, both members of the 10 Rings, were first given over to the lashers and branders they had employed, their titles and lands all stripped from them, then they were promptly shipped to the land of Queen Nico Minoro II, the Witch Queen, who did not abide fools. She put them to work in areas that had the hardest yields of product, allowing them a taste of the life to which they tried to doom the world.

As their sentences were being meted out, many of them mocked the Council of Ministers. They taunted them with a world in which all _indebts_ were immediately released and an economy that could not sustain them, plunging the world into a terrible depression when the workforce was flooded with ignorant ex-slaves.

Peter brings this dilemma up to Tony, fearful that what they taunt will come true.

“Well, Petey,” Tony tells him, “It very well may have happened that way a few years ago. Hundreds of suddenly free, unskilled labourers hitting the market, most destined for destitute farms and drought-hit starving cities. Those who had money out on their unpaid debts now even further into debt themselves with no feasible way to overcome it with the added cost of trying to hire and train new labourers. It could have been a death sentence, or a worse-than-death sentence for many.”

“But not now?” he asks cautiously.

Tony smiles, throwing a casual arm around his son.

“Well, years ago, a very powerful man was told by a very smart boy that if people see something bad happen, and then let it continue, even when they have the power to change things but don’t, those things happen because of those people.”

Peter smiles at him, and Tony smiles back.

“Fortunately, this powerful man had many very powerful friends,” he says, beckoning his friends to him.

He reminds Peter that with Hank’s help, Bruce had revolutionised carriage systems that could now reach even the furthest areas of earth with supplies people needed to store, gather, or preserve their food for those years when yield was hard, and Peter’s innovations helped people access clean water, meaning fewer people would have to choose between nourishment and other needs. Then, he prompts the other Council Members to tell Peter about all the internal changes they had been making the last few years in preparation for just this day.

Minister Charles explains that many people, regardless of age, free and ex- _indebt_ alike, were now well-schooled, thanks to his and Raven’s reformed educational system.

Minister Ororo explains that thanks to the improvements in training, funding, and response, based in part on Nebula and Carol Danvers’ ideas, many agencies would be able to sustain a substantial growth for any who desired to go into peacekeeping.

Minister Thor explains that thanks to Loki’s diplomatic skills, much more international trade is taking place between all ministries, building up a market constantly in need of a greater variety of labourers.

And, as for Minister Anthony, he smirks and reminds Peter that he had appointed Steve to buy and distribute loads of _indebts_ throughout both his land and others based on skillset, meaning no _one_ industry would suffer the loss of free labour, and that those labourers were now the experts in their given field after _years_ of learning their respective professions. And, since it had been up and running for a few years, the Department of (now) Ex- _Indebt_ Placement was prepared to help the hordes of people who would otherwise be thrust into a society they had been taken from without any guidance.

“It wasn’t enough to simply stop debt-bondage,” Tony tells him. “It was a system that came out of ages and ages of fear, poverty, desperation, and ignorance. Steve suggested years ago that we spend some time rectifying the situations that caused the system before trying to break it, when I told him the cycle Lifers and other ex- _indebts_ were caught in.”

“And me?” Peter finally asks.

Tony did hang his head at that.

“I was selfish. And wrong. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you if you knew you’d eventually be able to leave anyway.”

Peter thinks about it for a long moment, then puts a hand on his shoulder.

“I wouldn’t have left, Tony,” he reassures. Tony stares at him incredulously, before pulling him in for a frantic hug.

When the Council of Ministers all come together, a smiling young Prince Peter Stark broadcasts through international holoscreens that _all indebts_ are free, their debts forgiven and paid with saved-up ministerial funds dedicated to that purpose, and a global grant was to be administered through baronies, the most local levels, to help all former slaves return to their homes or to set up homes with their newly-acquired skills. There is a week-long celebration and, though there were a number of begrudging ex-owners, it is eventually found that former _indebts_ work harder and more effectively once free, returning the investment to those who hire them ten-fold or more.

Peter helps Tony appoint overseers in their land to ensure a checks-and-balance system, reminding those in power they are meant to serve the people and the people to serve them in symbiotic, not despotic, relationships.


	16. New Hero

A couple of years later, a few of the most prominent ex- _indebts_ have decided to go off to make their way in the world together, much to the dismay of their former masters-turned-friends.

Tony and Peter are standing at the edge of the woods, saying goodbye to Steve-the-artist, who has joined up with other ex-slaves from theirs and neighbouring ministries.

“You could stay,” Prince Peter offers him. Tony has a familiar hand on his shoulder, a comfort at a time of more farewells and changes.

Steve, chomping a fruit again, swallows, then smiles at him.

“I could. But I don’t think I need to anymore.” He ruffles Peter’s hair, then catches Tony’s eye and gives him a nod. “I’ll always come back if you need me. We all will.”

He turns and throws an arm around Natasha, leading the group into the forest. Suddenly, Peter fully looks at the other ex- _indebts_ Steve is leading away, and then glances up to Tony for confirmation. Tony’s eyes have widened at the same, impossible realisation.

“Wait!” he calls, halting his friend.

Nebula the cyborg, Raven Darkholme the mutant, Loki the magician, Carol the ex-air force pilot, Natasha the secret agent, Sergeant Bucky the sniper, and Dr. Hank Pym, of all people, stop and wait for Steve.

A metal warrior, a shapeshifter, a sorcerer, a flyer, spy, a marksman, an inventor, and…

“Captain?” Peter guesses, voice catching in his throat.

“Yes, Peter?” Steve-the-more-than-an-artist prompts with a sly smile.

“Sometimes I wish _I_ was an Avenger,” he repeats the familiar words again, an incredulous, eager look on his face.

Steve chuckles, nodding approvingly, then holds out his hand to Loki, who gives him another fruit.

Steve tosses the golden apple to Peter with a wink.

“So be one,” he encourages, before he turns and leads the others away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What has been will be again,  
> what has been done will be done again;  
> there is nothing new under the sun."
> 
> Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV


End file.
